Quebec Tobacco-Free Week 2024

Context

The 47th edition of the Quebec Tobacco-Free Week 2024, coordinated by the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health and developed in partnership with the advertising agency Macadam, the public relations agency Public SC, and the media team at Jungle, highlights the devastating consequences of smoking on the daily lives of smokers through a realistic and moving advertisement.

Tobacco endangers the health of smokers and their loved ones
Despite growing awareness of the risks of smoking, 975,900 Quebecers are still dependent on nicotine. That's why, driven by the tagline "Tobacco weakens lives and kills 13,000 people each year," the advertisement underscores the devastating repercussions of smoking on the daily lives of people who smoke through moving narratives and touching stories. "Tobacco is a formidable trigger for 16 types of cancer and 21 chronic diseases. The campaign reminds us that behind the statistics are lives that could have been preserved," declares Annie Papageorgiou, General Manager of the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health.

A campaign that immerses the viewer in the experiences of people whose daily lives are affected by smoking
"The advertising campaign for the Week is intended to be emotional and realistic, telling the stories and accounts of people whose daily lives are affected by tobacco," comments Benoît Beauchemin, partner, consulting service at Macadam. The viewer follows a mother who struggles to keep up with her children because of her asthma, a worried father who finds a pack of cigarettes in his teenager's room, or a loved one who has left us too soon.

The emotional aspect is reinforced by the background sound of the song "Si fragile" by Luc De Larochellière. "Starting to smoke cigarettes was probably one of the worst ideas of my life, and managing to quit one of my greatest victories. The cigarette is too short a fuse for such a fragile life," testifies the singer-songwriter, who specially re-recorded the song for the occasion.

The advertisement is not only broadcast on television but also on the Web. In addition, exclusive content is also distributed throughout the week on the social networks of the "Québec sans tabac" portal as well as on Facebook and Instagram.